There are often news stories about Edward, the Prince of Wales, who gave up the British throne for Wallis Simpson, the woman he loved.
There are many interesting aspects of his life, but one I rarely see mentioned is that the prince visited Hawaii twice in one year, long before the weight of the crown caused his abdication.
The year was 1920 — 100 years ago. He was Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, the son of King George V, a grandson of Queen Victoria. The prince was 25 years old.
He arrived on the HMS Renown in April, part of a 60-ship flotilla visiting several commonwealth nations.
Gov. Charles McCarthy welcomed him at Iolani Palace. He attended a luau under a huge banyan tree at the home of Robert Atkinson, with poi and kalua pig.
Then Duke Kahanamoku gave him canoe rides and surfing lessons. A huge crowd turned out to greet the prince, who arrived at 4 o’clock in Waikiki, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported. The Outrigger Canoe Club provided four canoes, each manned with two to three club members. One canoe was fitted with motion picture cameras.
As they were getting into the canoe, a huge wave rose out on the horizon and a half-dozen surfers caught it, bringing a cheer from the islanders on the Moana pier.
Duke took the prince out to where more than 50 surfers were assembled. The prince was shy because some of them were female, the Star-Bulletin said.
“But the first wave caught by the canoe removed any embarrassing air,” the paper reported. “The prince, sitting high on the rear of the canoe, could not quite figure the reason for the paddling that was going on ahead of him until suddenly the wave caught the canoe, lifting him lightly into the air.”
The prince let out a whoop like any other youngster enjoying his first ride.
Duke let the canoe slide and the wave died out. They returned to their original spot and rode a second wave and then a third to shore.
Duke whispered to the prince, who nodded vigorously in the affirmative. He signaled to George “Dad” Center, who brought out a surfboard and traded it for the canoe. The prince dove into the water and got on board. They paddled out.
Two big waves formed and the surfers scrambled. But Duke let them pass so that many of the surfers could get out of the way.
“Then he took the third wave and the people on the beach saw him ride out of the foam and then lift up the prince to a position in front of him on the board.
“Behind him on the surfboard like a tower of strength stood Duke Kahanamoku, calm and sure, supporting Britain’s royal heir under the armpits. They went in flying, riding from where the big surf starts to where it dies by the Moana pier.
“Both Duke and the prince fell backward into the water, the prince came up spouting water and laughing.
“He wanted to paddle out alone and Duke let him, but the royal visitor found that it was no easy trick. After working for five minutes and gaining only about five yards, he permitted Duke to help him out.”
Duke paddled alongside the prince, then pushed him into the next wave alone. The young visitor managed to hang on.
They returned to the break and the prince caught a wave, or rather the wave caught him, and he went to the bottom, parting company with the board.
The prince came up under the surfboard, hitting it. “I say, that was a nasty smack on the head,” he grinned, when Duke paddled over to help him.
He refused his staff’s pleas to stop and tried again. Two or three waves got by him and then he managed to catch one. Duke had told him to use his feet as rudders. He did and the result was a “barrel” roll, and he lost his board again.
He returned twice more before his party convinced him to return to shore. It was more fun than he had had in a long time.
A royal ball
That evening, McCarthy hosted a ball for him at the National Guard Armory (now the site of the state Capitol). Over 1,000 attended and 12 lucky ladies got to dance with him over the next 90 minutes. Maybe he wasn’t shy after all.
The next day, the prince sailed on the HRH Renown for Suva, then on to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.
Return trip
The prince made a stop in Hawaii four months later in August 1920, on his return trip to England, because he wanted to go surfing again. He came ashore with less formality, dressed as a British tourist, and stayed at the Moana hotel like any other visitor to Honolulu.
The next morning, he played golf at Oahu Country Club. Walter Dillingham then took him for some polo at Kapiolani Park.
The prince had an embarrassing moment in the Moana gift shop. He picked out an ukulele, a pair of slippers and several other souvenirs. At the cash register, he realized his pockets were empty.
“I’m sorry,” he said, evidently embarrassed. “But I haven’t any money. Will you kindly keep these for me a moment?”
The clerk hadn’t recognized him. Sensing her perplexity a spectator stepped up and said, “You needn’t worry about that customer. He’ll come back, all right.” And a few minutes later, he did. She still didn’t know who he was.
Prince “ducked”
That evening, Prince Edward learned that “American girls are dangerously capable of caring for themselves,” the Star-Bulletin reported.
The prince met two visitors from the mainland and invited them to join him and his three friends for dinner at the Moana. They were Mrs. Bertha Van and Miss Alyce Sommer. After dinner, they danced to Johnny Noble’s Hawaiian orchestra.
At the suggestion of the prince, the party donned bathing suits and went for a midnight swim in the ocean. In play, the prince swam close to Bertha Van and splashed her with water.
With a merry laugh Mrs. Van reached out and shoved the prince’s blond head beneath the waves. The San Francisco Examiner wrote that she “ducked” him. Gasping and puffing, the prince found his way to the surface.
In spite of his injured dignity the prince took it all in stride. “Quite rude, but extremely amusing.” he said, “but I will say your American girls can certainly look out for themselves.”
The prince spent some time surfing the next day and sailed for home. Sixteen years later, his father, King George V, died and the prince became King Edward VIII.
Edward loved American Wallis Simpson, deemed to be politically unacceptable as she was divorced and married to her second husband at the time. Forced to choose between the throne and his lover, he abdicated in December 1936, and his younger brother Albert (remember the movie “The King’s Speech”) became King George VI. George was the father of the current queen, Elizabeth II.
Prince Edward left for exile in France as the Duke of Windsor.
Have a question or suggestion? Contact Bob Sigall, author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books at Sigall@Yahoo.com.
